


let your honesty shine

by cinderlily



Category: Pitch (TV 2016)
Genre: Career Ending Injuries, F/M, Happy Ending, Retirement
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-31
Updated: 2017-07-31
Packaged: 2018-12-09 09:32:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11666412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cinderlily/pseuds/cinderlily
Summary: Mike Lawson's career ends with a bang and not a whisper.





	let your honesty shine

Mike’s career ends with a bang, not a whisper. September first, against the Phillies. One wrong move and a guy sliding into the base and pop. His knee was done. 

He remembered the pain, the sudden shock of being on his back and blinking up at faceless people. All except for one, of course. The deep brown eyes popping out at him, the etching of concern all over her face. He was being asked questions by people. 

It didn’t make sense. All he could understand was the pain and the sky and Ginny Baker. But Ginny was leaning down towards him and he could see her mouth forming words. Everything came back to sharp focus. 

“Mike, can you get up?” she asked, her voice tight and clipped. 

He forced himself to at least try, but he went to sit up and knew with sharp pain came a resounding no. He shook his head. Other voices called out and he knew the stretcher was imminent. 

“Ginny,” he said, his voice tighter than hers had been. “It’s been awesome.” 

Ginny looked like she might genuinely start crying on the grass. “Shut up. You’re coming back. You always come back.” 

He realized with a moment of pure clarity all of this was over. There would be no retirement moment. No curtain calls. He was done. He breathed in and out. The stadium was silent, home town fans holding their breath tight. He sighed. This, he figured, was the perfect allegory for his life. 

“ _Rook_ ,” he said, and he was being lifted by his underarms to go on the stretcher. The trainers and a few EMTs. It was so quiet everywhere around him, he could hear a pin drop. “Marry me?” 

Ginny stood up with a quick snap and he saw her try and follow them but it wasn’t fruitful. He was surrounded by people who were in gear asking him about things he couldn’t give them an answer for. He looked up at the fans and gave a thumbs up. There was a swell of cheering. 

Sixteen hours, a surgery and a plethora of drugs later he woke to find himself being told exactly what he already knew. That moment had been his swan song. There was no more baseball in his future. He was told to think of it as the sign he needed. He was six months to the day away from his 40th birthday. That was a good career for a catcher. 

He wasn’t sure if it was the Demerol running through his veins or the fact that he had been thinking about retiring for so long, but it didn’t hurt to hear. It almost gave him a sense of relief. It was done. No more wondering how much longer he had. It was done. He’d spent his career as a Padres. They’d probably retire his number. 

He never got a ring but for once that didn’t bother him. It was enough. 

He fell back to sleep. 

* 

Ginny’s voice woke him up. 

“Well, frankly that’s bullshit,” she said and his eyes were still a little too heavy to open so he couldn’t even tell who she was talking to. 

“Ginny.” Oh, it was Amelia. “He’s been playing for twenty plus years. He’s a catcher. His knee is toast. He’s done. It’s called reality.” 

Mike’s brain was fuzzy enough to find the way she just put it out so baldly kind of hilarious and he laughed. 

“Mike?” Ginny’s voice got closer and he suddenly felt a hand in his. 

He peeked one eye open first, testing the light in the room. “Don’t mind me, I’m just toast.”

“Come on Lawson,” Amelia drawled, though her voice was softer than usual. “You know what I meant.” 

He opened his other eye and the room was dark, but he saw light coming from behind the curtains. He had no idea what time it was, or what day it was really. But he knew that Ginny was gingerly perched on his bed and she was staring at him like he was dying rather than just injured. He squeezed her hand. 

“You look like it’s you who should be in the bed, Rookie,” he frowned. “Did you sleep… last night?” 

She made a face. “A little. That chair is not made for sleep, even if it lies semi flat. It’s a piece of crap.” 

“You stayed here?” 

She ducked her head. “Well, I mean. You asked me a question while you rolled out, I figured I had to be here when you woke up in case you meant it.” 

“Meant it?” he said. 

Her skin darkened with a blush, he could see pale red on the arches of her cheek bone. “Shut up, Old Man.” 

“I’ve asked you before,” he said. “Why wouldn’t I mean it now?

“Cause you said… you said when you retired.” 

He squeezed her fingers and gave a sad smile. “We knew this day was coming. I was a time bomb. You knew that. I knew it.” 

“Is this the Demerol talking?” 

He laughed harder than he meant to and then winced, maybe moving that much wasn’t the best idea. “Maybe a little. But not on the field.” 

“Are you sure?” 

“OH MY DEAR GOD, GINNY, HE’S SURE,” Amelia snapped and then frowned. 

Ginny looked first at Amelia then at Mike. Mike noted the lines around her face were softening. He liked that. And the smile that was slowly taking over her face. “You know my answer.” 

“You’ve got to _say_ it,” Amelia stepped in again and this time they both snapped her a look. She looked at least a little chagrined. 

“I kind of have to agree with Amelia here,” he said. He never knew she’d be so involved in their proposal but he also didn’t think he’d be rocking pain meds and a huge as hell brace. 

Ginny tilted her head, faking consideration. “Yeah, I think I’m going to have to marry you, Mike Lawson.” 

She leaned over him and gently kissed him. It wasn’t his best kiss style wise but he grinned into it. 

“If I knew it only took a career ending injury…” 

She hit his arm, softer than usual. “Not funny.” 

“Not funny… yet?” 

“Not funny _ever_.” 

“There goes my wedding speech,” he sighed. 

Ginny’s face beamed. “Wedding?” 

“Yeah. Those come after proposals,” he said. “But first, I’ve got to be able to walk down the aisle.” 

She kissed him again. “We’ll get there.” 

“Good, now I can respond to about three thousand emails,” Amelia said and was out the door before he had to take a minute to look at the door before he looked at Ginny. 

“Emails?” 

Ginny chuckled. “Yeah, Lawson. People can hear and lip read. If they had ESPN on this crappy tv I would show you. You kind of proposed to me _and_ the world.” 

“Did we win?” 

“Yes, you crazy romantic.” 

He winked. “So I won twice.” 

And then the Demerol started to tug at his edges a little bit. Ginny laid down, barely touching him and on the opposite side as his knee. She brushed her fingers through his hair and he fell back asleep. 

All in all, not the ideal way to end a career, but far from the worst.

**Author's Note:**

> I miss these two dorks.


End file.
